CBF marks a year in charge with reforms, modernisation and wins | OneFootball

This Monday (25) marks the completion of the first full year of the new administration of the Brazilian Football Confederation, a period in which the entity dedicated itself to transforming the Home of Brazilian Football into a space of unity and dialogue. Since president Samir Xaud took office in May 2025, the CBF has been working on several fronts simultaneously, promoting changes in historic areas of Brazilian football such as financial sustainability, refereeing, the calendar, player development, and governance. And, of course, titles.

“The first year of our administration was marked by the courage to tackle historic issues in Brazilian football without giving up on dialogue. We sought to build bridges, listen to clubs, federations, athletes, professionals, and experts to begin a process of modernizing the CBF and Brazilian football as a whole. More than immediate results, we want to leave solid foundations for the future of our sport and the strengthening of our institution,” said CBF president Samir Xaud.

The start of the cycle was symbolic: on just the second day of the administration, the CBF presented coach Carlo Ancelotti as the new manager of the senior Brazil men’s national team, in a move that resonated internationally and symbolized a new phase for the Seleção.

Carlo Ancelotti alongside CBF president Samir Xaud: the coach was introduced on the administration’s second dayCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Internally, the new administration began a diagnostic process, an institutional x-ray aimed at establishing the entity’s new priorities. It was necessary to act quickly.

From then on, the CBF began betting on a collective decision-making model, bringing together the body of vice-presidents and directors, while also calling clubs, federations, and experts into the dialogue. It was finally time to tackle the structural problems of Brazilian football.

One of the first measures was the creation of the Financial Fair Play Working Group, an unprecedented initiative in the country. The group brought together economists, business leaders, executives, lawyers, and consultants specialized in the sports market, giving rise to the first regulations of the Financial Sustainability System (SSF) in Brazilian football.

The CBF auditorium welcomed representatives of clubs, federations, and guests for the presentation of the Financial Fair Play modelCredits: Junior Souza / CBF

The proposal established financial control mechanisms and fiscal responsibility for clubs. Its framework was inspired by international models, but adapted to the national reality. As a result of this process, in addition to the SSF itself, the National Agency for the Regulation and Sustainability of Football (ANRESF) was created, an independent body responsible for overseeing the system.

“We have managed to begin a structural transformation agenda that Brazilian football had been waiting for for many years. The progress of financial fair play, the modernization of refereeing, and investments in competitions and player development show a CBF that is more open to dialogue and committed to planning, responsibility, and sustainable development,” highlighted CBF vice-president Gustavo Dias Henrique.

Vice-president Gustavo Dias praised the professional management implemented at the CBFCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBF

While structural changes were advancing behind the scenes, sporting results also began to appear on the pitch.

The Brazil women’s national team won the Women’s Copa América and claimed the ninth continental title in its history, reinforcing its hegemony in South America and marking the first title of the current administration.

The women’s national team won the 2025 Women’s Copa América, the first title of the new CBF administrationCredits: Lívia Villas Boas / CBF

“It’s a title I will always remember very fondly, and one that gave me a good omen for the 2027 Women’s World Cup,” said Xaud, looking ahead to hosting the competition for the first time.

In addition to the senior women’s team, the period was marked by titles and standout campaigns in different Brazilian national team categories, including men’s and women’s youth teams, futsal, beach soccer, and eSports.

Brazil wins the first Women’s Futsal World Cup, held in 2025Credits: Fabio Souza / CBF

In electronic sports, the CBF increased its investments. The eBrazil National Team won titles in the FIFAe Nations League qualifiers in categories such as Rocket League and eFootball, while the eBrasileirão returned to the official calendar after a break in 2024.

The entity also launched the High Performance Program for the eBrazil National Team, bringing the competitive gaming environment closer to the multidisciplinary structure used by the traditional national teams.

Another front considered strategic by the administration was the reform of the Brazilian football calendar. The new model sought to reduce the excess of matches for top-flight clubs and increase the number of games for teams at the base of the pyramid.

The new calendar seeks to bring more rationality and balance to men’s professional footballCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

The CBF increased the number of participants in the Copa do Brasil, expanded Série D, and created new regional competitions, totaling 82 new spots in national tournaments organized by the entity. In total, the CBF invested R$ 1.3 billion in organizing competitions.

In refereeing, the administration focused on professionalization, continuing education, and technology.

The Refereeing Working Group was created to discuss structural improvements and develop a modernization plan for the sector, involving clubs, federations, referees, and experts.

One of the main initiatives was the Refereeing Without Borders program, which brings Regional Seminars to state federations, seeking to assess local officiating pools in search of renewal for the National Selection of Football Referees (Senaf).

At the same time, the CBF finalized the hiring process and began implementing semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) in Brazilian football. Today, SAOT is installed in every stadium hosting Série A matches of the Brazilian Championship, which are undergoing final tests for system validation and the start of its use.

Cameras for the semi-automated offside system (SAOT) are already installed in all Série A Brasileirão stadiumsCredits: Divulgação/ Corinthians

Another unprecedented measure was the creation of the Professional Refereeing Program, which hired 72 referees, assistant referees, and video referees to join the entity’s staff.

The most recently launched working group by the CBF was the Youth Categories Group, aimed at the future of Brazilian football. The group brings together representatives from clubs, federations, former players, and members of the CBF Academy to discuss improvements to the country’s player development model.

At the launch of the initiative, Samir Xaud highlighted the importance of closely examining athlete development processes across Brazil, as part of an effort to restore the DNA of Brazilian football.

Youth Development Working Group: the starting whistle was blown in April 2026Credits: Nelson Terme / CBF

“Taking care of the development of young athletes is strategic for the future of our sport. Brazil has always been recognized for producing talent. Now, we also want to be recognized for the quality of our development process,” said Xaud.

The discussions involve the school calendar, certification of training clubs, development of girls’ youth football, and national guidelines for developing young talent.

At the same time, the entity also acted as an institutional mediator in discussions involving the creation of the future Brazilian football league, encouraging dialogue among clubs and different blocs on the national scene.

The national team call-up for the World Cup dominated audiences on the internet, social media, and free-to-air TV Credits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Closing out the first year of the administration, the event for announcing Brazil’s squad for the World Cup, on May 18, marked the CBF’s new way of operating. The ceremony, whose high point was coach Carlo Ancelotti’s list, brought together hundreds of journalists from different countries and turned the announcement of the 26 called-up players into a spectacle aimed at Brazilian fans, but with global impact.

The end of the administration’s first cycle comes precisely on the eve of yet another World Cup, at a time when the CBF is betting on institutional modernization, the growth and strengthening of national competitions, and reconnecting the Brazil national team with its supporters.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.